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The Evolution of Social Media Influencers (Infographic)

Social media influencer sounds like a fake job, right? Well it turns out this is one of the hottest jobs right now thanks to social media. These days people can make themselves famous on social media by building a following around their passion, whatever that may be, and then charging companies to place ads in the mix with their social media posts. The next time your mom tells you that you spend too much time on your phone you can tell her you’re just building your career.

Social media influencers have evolved over generations. Hundreds of years ago the royal family was singing the praises of Josiah Wedgwood’s pottery, and today he’s a household name. Celebrities have always been involved in advertising things like laundry detergent and cigarettes, and many brands even developed their own celebrities in the form of characters like Tony the Tiger and Flo from Progressive.

Today celebrities aren’t the preferred method of advertising online. People tend to prefer peer recommendations over celebrity endorsements, which has given rise to the social media influencer. In fact, 70% of teens think that YouTubers are more reliable than celebrities and 88% of consumers trust online recommendations as much as face to face recommendations. Social media influencers are real people and they are more likely to be authentic and to interact with their audience, so brands are starting to take note.

Learn more about social media influencers from this infographic. Maybe all that work you’ve been doing building your social media following within the birdhouse community will finally pay off!